Foundation garment



April 19, 1966 V $|MON 3,246,648

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Oct. 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Mariefia Simon ATTORNEY April 19, 1966 M. SIMON 3,246,648

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Oct. 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Marierra Simon ATTORNEY United States Patent C) 3,246,648 FOUNDATION GARMENT Marietta Simon, 3% E. 24th St., Broux, N.Y. Filed Oct. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 319,141 3'Clairns. (Cl. 128-443) The present invention relates to a garment and more particularly to a corset, brassiere, or the like.

The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the garment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a second rear View of the garment of FIG. 1, showing the drop seat lowered;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention as applied to a brassiere; and

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the garment of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the garment is seen to have two major portions: a brassiere portion and a girdle portion 12 joined together to form an all-inone corset. The brassiere portion 10 has a pair of breast cups 114 each provided with a support section 16 of a non-stretch material secured across approximately the bottom half of the cup. The support section 16 is preferably made of a double layer of fabric for added strength. The chevron shape, as shown in the drawing, has been found to be particularly effective.

A front panel 18 extends downwardly from each of the breast cups so that its lower edge 20 is at approximately the waistline of the garment but is raised at its central portion to eliminate pressure over the diaphragm. Each front panel 18 may be divided into two sections 22 joined together along a generally vertical seam extending downwardly from approximately the center of the lower edge of the breast support section 16. Additionally, the front panel 18 may have a pair of reinforcing members 24, such as boning within pockets, diverging upwardly from the lower edge 20 of the brassiere portion 10 for greater uplift and to eliminate the need for shoulder straps.

An underarm panel 26 is connected along the outer edge of each front panel and is preferably made of a horizontally extensible material to ensure a snug fit. A back panel 28 of non-stretch material is connected between the free edges of the underarm panels 26. The back panel 28 may be cut out at its upper central area to accommodate low-back dresses and may extend so that its lower edge 29 rests on the hip area. A plurality of generally vertical reinforcing members 30 are secured within pockets from the upper edge 32 to the lower edge 29 of the back panel 28. Further to eliminate the need for shoulder straps a thin flexible wire 34 may be inserted within a seam around the entire upper edge of the brassiere portion 10.

The girdle portion 12 of the garment is made of horizontally extensible material over which a semicircular abdominal panel 36 is secured with its base line 38 positioned generally at the waistline but preferably cut lower at its central portion to reduce pressure on the diaphragm. The are of the semi-circle then extends downwardly from the base line 38. The abdominal panel 36 is made of vertically extensible material so that the abdominal area of the garment has double ply two-way stretch construction for superior abdominal control. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the abdominal panel 36 comprises three concentric crescentshaped sections 40, the inner edge of each outwardly succeeding crescent being sized to conform generally with and be spacedfrom the outeredge ofthe adjacent crescent.

The rear of the girdle portion 12 has a pair of concentric crescent-shaped rear panels 42 of vertically extensible material to increase control at the rear of the garment. Plackets 44 are located at each side edge of the girdle portion from the waistline to approximately the hips so that the seat may be lowered in the bathroom as shown in FIG. 3. Closure means such as hooks and eyes 46 and zippers 48 are provided to secure the seat in position. A crotch portion 50 of a soft fabric is used for comfort.

The garment has its opening placket 52 at the front vertical centerline joining the two breast cups 14 and the two front panels 18 and extends downwardly into the girdle portion 12. Hooks and eyes 54 with an overlying zipper 56 may be used as the closure means.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 the invention is shown as embodied in a separate brassiere. As in the all-in-one garment already described, there is a pair of breast cups 58 each having a support section 60 of non-stretch material secured across approximately the bottom half of the cup. A front panel 62 extends downwardly from each of the breast cups 58 so that its lower edge 64 is at approximately the waistline of the garment. The lower edge 64 is preferably raised at its central portion to avoid pressure on the diaphragm. Each front panel 62 may be divided into two sections 66 joined together along a generally vertical seam 67 extending downwardly from approximately the center of the lower edge of the breast support section 60. A pair of reinforcing members 68, for example boning, may be secured to diverge upwardly from the lower edge 64 for better uplift and to eliminate the need for shoulder straps.

An underarm panel 70 of horizontally extensible material is connected along the outer edge of each front panel 62. Connecting the underarm panels 70 is a back panel 72 of a non-stretch material. The upper edge 73 of the back panel 72 may be cut out in the central portion so that the brassiere may be worn with low-back dresses. A plurality of generally vertical reinforcing members 74- are secured within pockets from the upperedge 73 to the lower edge 76 of the back panel 72.

As in the garment illustrated in FIG. 1, a thin, flexible wire 78 may be inserted within a seam around the entire upper edge of the brassiere. The wire '18 helps to eliminate the need for shoulder straps but may be omitted if shoulder straps are desired.

The brassiere opens completely along its front vertical centerline 80. The usual closure means of hooks and eyes 82 as well as a zipper 84 are provided along this opening.

In the same manner as the construction of the brassiere portion 10 of the garment finds usefulness as a separate garment, so may the girdle portion 12. The same construction as heretofore described may be utilized in the manufacture of a separate girdle. It is in the unique combination of these two portions into a single garment, however, that the invention is especially effective.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A garment comprising a brassiere portion having a pair of breast cups, a front panel extending downwardly from each of said breast cups to its lower edge at approximately the waistline, an underarm panel connected along the outer edge of each front panel, a back panel extending between the underarm panels and con- '3 u nected to the free edges thereof, said breast cups each having a support section secured across the bottom of each cup to provide two-ply construction for greater support, said garment having a lower portion of horizontally extensible material secured to and positioned beneath the lower edge of said brassiere portion, and a semicircular abdominal panel of vertically extensible material extending across the abdominal area of said lower portion and secured thereto, said abdominal panel having its base line positioned generally at the waistline and the arc of the semi-circle extending downwardly from the base line whereby the abdominal area of the garment is of double ply two-way stretch construction for superior abdominal control, said abdominal panel comprising a plurality of concentric crescent-shaped sections, the inner edge of each outwardly succeeding crescent being sized to conform generally with and be spaced from the outer edge of the adjacent crescent.

2. A garment comprising a brassiere portion having a pair of breast cups, a front panel extending downwardly from each of said breast cups to its lower edge at approximately the waistline, an underarm panel connected along the outer edge of each front panel, said underarm panel being of horizontally extensible material, and a back panel extending between the underarm panels and connected to the free edges thereof, said breast cups each having a support section of non-stretch material secured across approximately the bottom half of each cup to provide two-ply construction for greater support, said front panel having a pair of reinforcing members diverging upwardly from the lower edge to the breast cup whereby the need for shoulder straps may be eliminated, said garment having a lower portion of horizontally extensible material secured to and positioned beneath the lower edge of said brassiere portion, a semi-circular abdominal panel of vertically extensible material extending across the abdominal area ,of said lower portion and secured thereto whereby the abdominal area of the garment is of double ply two-way stretch construction for superior abdominal control, and closure means at the front vertical centerline of said garment.

3. A garment comprising a brassiere portion having a pair of breast cups, said breast cups each having a support section of non-stretch material secured across approximately the bottom half of each cup to provide two-ply construction for greater support, a front panel extending downwardly from each of said breast cups to its lower edge at approximately the waistline, each of said front panels having two sections joined along a generally vertical seam extending downwardly from approximately the center of the lower edge of the breast support section, an underarm panel of horizontally extensible material connected along the outer edge of each front panel, and a back panel extending between the underarm panels and connected to the free edges thereof, said back panel having a plurality of generally vertical reinforcing members secured from the upper edge to the lower edge of said back panel, said front panel having a pair of reinforcing members diverging upwardly from the lower edge to the breast cup whereby the need for shoulder straps may be eliminated, said garment having a lower portion of horizontally extensible material secured to and positioned beneath the lower edge of said brassiere portion, a semi-circular abdominal panel of vertically extensible material extending across the abdominal area of said lower portion and secured thereto, said abdominal panel having its base line positioned generally at the waistline and the arc of the semi-circle extending downwardly from the base line whereby the abdominal area of the garment is of double ply two-way stretch construction for superior abdominal control, said abdominal panel being cut lower at the center of the waistline to reduce pressure on the diaphragm, said abdominal panel comprising a plurality of concentric crescent-shaped sections, the inner edge of each outwardly succeeding crescent being sized to conform generally with and be spaced from the outer edge of the adjacent crescent, said lower portion having a seat section detachably secured at each side edge of the lower portion so that said seat may be lowered, said seat section having a pair of concentric crescent-shaped rear panels of vertically extensible material to increase control at the rear of the garment, a crotch portion of a soft fabric, and closure means at the front vertical centerline of said garment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,982,657 12/1934 Graves 128-441 2,053,165 9/1936 Pruett 128528 2,293,627 8/1942 Polesie 128525 2,560,145 7/1951 Wanish 128441 2,877,770 3/1959 Gold 128-465 2,920,627 1/1960 Williamson l28465 3,080,869 3/1963 Alberts '128579 3,133,540 5/1964 Blatt 128-528 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT COMPRISING A BRASSIERE PORTION HAVING A PAIR OF BREAST CUPS, A FRONT PANEL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM EACH OF SAID BREAST CUPS TO ITS LOWER EDGE AT APPROXIMATELY THE WAISTLINE, AN UNDERARM PANEL CONNECTED ALONG THE OUTER EDGE OF EACH FRONT PANEL, A BACK PANEL EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UNDERARM PANELS AND CONNECTED TO THE FREE EDGES THEREOF, SAID BREAST CUPS EACH HAVING A SUPPORT SECTION SECURED ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF EACH CUP TO PROVIDE TWO-PLY CONSTRUCTION FOR GREATER SUPPORT, SAID GARMENT HAVING A LOWER PORTION OF HORIZONTALLY EXTENSIBLE MATERIAL SECURED TO AND POSITIONED BENEATH THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BRASSIERE PORTION, AND A SEMICIRCULAR ABDOMINAL PANEL OF VERTICALLY EXTENSIBLE MATERIAL EXTENDING ACROSS THE ABDOMINAL AREA OF SAID LOWER PORTION AND SECURED THERETO, SAID ABDOMINAL PANEL HAVING ITS BASE LINE POSITIONED GENERALLY AT THE WAISTLINE AND THE ARC OF THE SEMI-CIRCLE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BASE LINE WHEREBY THE ABDOMINAL AREA OF THE GARMENT IS OF DOUBLE PLY TWO-WAY STRETCH CONSTRUCTION FOR SUPERIOR ABDOMINAL CONTROL, SAID ABDOMINAL PANEL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC CRESCENT-SHAPED SECTIONS, THE INNER EDGE OF EACH OUTWARDLY SUCCEEDING CRESCENT BEING SIZED TO CONFORM GENERALLY WITH AND BE SPACED FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF THE ADJACENT CRESCENT. 